


Emotional Support

by DarthLivion (DistantShenanigans)



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 16:36:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8924362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DistantShenanigans/pseuds/DarthLivion
Summary: Every psychiatrist and therapist (because apparently there was a difference has told Justin and his parents that he needed an emotional support animal. Every time, his parents took him to someone new. Then, he goes to Samwell, and meets his best friend, Adam, who decides to do what his parents never did.Now, the Hockey Team has a new mascot, even if it is meant to be Justin's service animal. Nobody minds.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blindinglights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blindinglights/gifts), [kitbuckle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitbuckle/gifts).



> For blindinglights in the 'swawsomesanta 2016 exchange.
> 
> This fic implies that Ransom's parents don't believe in 'emotional support animals', but they aren't abusive. Just strict and want the best from their son. Which clearly causes anxiety. So... Have some Ransom with an anxiety dog.
> 
> (hints at as pre-slash Ransom/Holster, but y'all can view it how you want)

Justin Oluransi was sixteen when he was told he needed an emotional support dog to help with his anxiety. His mother had merely sighed, while his father frowned. The therapist they had taken Justin to had frowned at their reactions, and continued to explain how beneficial it would be for the young teenager.

Justin did not, in fact, get a dog. He did get a new therapist, though.

 

Justin Oluransi was seventeen when he graduated and got accepted to Samwell University on a Hockey Scholarship, and he was eighteen when he headed to America for the first time. He had stopped going to therapy shortly before he graduated, after that therapist had, too, insisted that he needed an anxiety dog. He didn't care, because at that point he was just angry and taking it out on his opponents on the ice.

He decided that, maybe, he should consider going back to therapy.

 

He was still eighteen when he met his best friend, Adam Birkholtz. He was the other defense player that Justin would be playing with, and was a freshman too. They hit it off immediately, and were dubbed 'Ransom and Holster' by the team just as quickly. Neither minded, and thought the names rocked.

A month into the school year, and he was annoyed at Holster. The boy insisted that, maybe, he should give therapy a chance, because “Anxiety isn't anything to leave alone. You need help to handle it.” and Ransom just didn't want to deal with it.

He went to the school councilor a month after the fact, when he had an anxiety attack over the first test of the year. It wasn't even really a test that would be counted on their grades, it was just a test, a _pop quiz_ even, to see what they knew of the subject at hand and if they would be able to handle hard tests.

Of course, it _had_ to be his Psychology class to have this test. His teacher had been kind about what happened, though his classmates had stared at him in shock. He didn't want to think about the words they had whispered as he was sent out of class.

He didn't get an emotional support dog until he moved into the Haus with Holster as his roommate. In fact, it was Holster who had brought the dog to begin with.

“Uhh, who's this?” Justin asked, trying hard to not want to hug the animal already. Holster grinned at him.

“This, Ransom, is Baby!” The blond announced. Justin raised an eyebrow.

“Baby?” He asked.

“Yep! More importantly, he's _your_ baby.” Holster said, “He's a train emotional support dog, to help with your anxiety.” Justin's eyes widened.

“Wh- _what_?” He asked.

“He's your emotional support dog.” Holster said, “I decided that since you wouldn't get one for you, I would. Your therapist helped.” When Justin tensed, he quickly added on, “He didn't give me anything that would break confidentiality. Just helped me get into contact with someone who trained dogs to help people with some different needs, like yours.” Justin blinked rapidly, trying to keep tears from forming, before smiling brightly and hugging Holster.

“ _Thank you._ ” His voice sounded thick with tears, but Holster didn't say anything about that, just let the other sophomore take in the dog and cuddle it.

“He needs a name still, Rans.” Holster said, instead. Justin smiled at the dog, taking in the thing's looks. It looked like a mixed breed, but something told Ransom that part of it _had_ to be a pit bull, merely from the shape of its face, but it also seemed to be a husky, and were those _spots_?

“What kind of dog is he?” He asked.

“Uhh... I think the trainer said husky and dalmatian?” Holster replied, “It's definitely mixed, and definitely husky.” Yes, definitely a husky mix, taking in the bright blue eyes.

“Mmm... How about Samwell?” Justin asked, “Because I got him at the University, and from you, who I met at the University?” Holster shrugged.

“Sounds good to me.” The blond answered, “He's yours, anyways.”

“And he's such a good boy!” Justin grinned, kissing the dog gently.

“He is. Oh! And here's the tag and vest that let people know he's a support dog.” Holster pulled out the items from a drawer, and the two wrangled the dog into the vest.

Walking Samwell down to meet the 'star freshman', and the rest of the team, Justin found that the dog really _was_ a good dog. He kept pace with Justin, seeming to know that he was meant for the defense-man.

“Awh man! Who's this sweetheart?” Shitty asked, not making a move to pet the dog.

“Samwell.” Justin answered with a soft smile. “He's probably going to need to poke around a bit and learn the Haus, but he's pretty good so far.”

“He's also house trained, according to the trainer.” Holster said.

“Really? 'Swawesome!” Justin grinned at that. He'd been a bit worried about house training, but now he didn't have to worry too much over it. He'd probably find a way to get a spot for Samwell to go indoors, at night, but otherwise, he had no problem with taking him out on walks all the time, considering he walked to all of his classes.

Meeting Bitty properly was an easy thing; the younger player was really nice and, in Justin's private opinion, _flamboyant_. Of course, it was none of his business, and he certainly wouldn't discuss someone's preferences to someone who wasn't that person, and not when he didn't even know what gender Bitty liked.

He believed firmly in the 'don't ask, don't tell' motto, considering his parents had been so _disappointed_ when a cousin had come out as pansexual a few years back. He'd never tell them he himself was bisexual.

It was finals week when it became clear just how good Samwell was at his job. He hadn't really needed much support with his anxiety until then, and whenever Justin ended up under his desk or a table in the library, Samwell was there, laying down by Justin and letting him be hugged. The whines and licks kept Justin from having severe attacks, like he used to have, and he came down from them a lot faster than before, especially when Holster wasn't around to help him out.

The guys on the team were definitely happy that Samwell was around. It wasn't even only Justin that Samwell helped out. Pre-game routines in the locker rooms were altered to add in Samwell, and not once has it been proven that Samwell screwed those routines up. Everyone on the team would at least pet Samwell, if not give him some good old fashioned loving, before a game. While they didn't win every game, they all did a good job with team-work and keeping their heads clear, and some of the players swore it was all thanks to Samwell.

Johnson mentioned something about being a 'good plot device', but even the goalie would give Samwell some good head scruffs and get the dog's tail wagging, so Justin didn't think too much on the older man's weirdness. Samwell trusted him, so Justin would trust him.

By the time he took Samwell home for the holidays, his parents had been told multiple times about Samwell and how good of a dog he was, that he was sure Samwell would be welcomed into the house.

He drove down to Holster's when that wasn't true. Holster's family were absolutely enamoured with the emotional support dog, and respected that when they were outside, Samwell was working. Of course, Samwell was technically _always_ working, but Justin was more lenient when they weren't in public on someone petting him without permission or something.

Holster was definitely the exception to that rule. Holster would pet Samwell all the time, and Justin didn't mind. In his eyes, Samwell wasn't just his dog, but Holster's. Goodness knows that Holster did just as much tending to Samwell as Justin, even if Holster had said “Ransom's dog” when introducing Samwell to his parents.

He was invited back to Holster's parents' for the summer, when they headed back to campus after New Year's.

The spring semester was spent studying and playing and partying. Samwell wasn't _fond_ of the Haus parties, but he was a good boy, and he spent the night at Justin's side, or at Holster's, or even a frog's, if the poor thing was nervous.

Then there were taddies taking a tour, and Justin met them briefly with Samwell. A kid named Poindexter (And _oh_ how Justin pitied that boy for that last name, because he was bullied with being called _poindexter_ as a kid) looked at Samwell with slight fear, and poor Samwell had been confused when he went to comfort the boy, only to get yelled at to go away.

Shitty's old friend had smiled and asked if he could pet him, and because he was relaxed and asked, Justin agreed to let him, and then an excited young boy from California was excited and asked if he could, too, and Justin is pretty sure Samwell helped some of the taddies decide to be official taddies or not. Holster thought it was hilarious, and Shitty had promised that his friend would be “chill” with Samwell in the locker room.

When finals hit again, it was hard and rough, but Samwell was there to comfort him. He also learned that Bitty got Johnson's dibs, and grinned. He'd have to make sure the small skater knew not to feed Samwell anything other than dog food or treats – mostly because a teammate learned the hard way why Samwell couldn't have human food – but other than that, he was excited to share the Haus with Bitty. It meant baked goods pretty much all day every day, come next fall. Plus the taddies were going to be part of the team, and he _loved_ a good hazing.

It was when he was packing for the summer that he realized this would be his first summer away from his parents. Yet, as Samwell nuzzled at his leg, he couldn't bring himself to feel sad about that. Of course, he was sure he'd get upset about it eventually, but he knew he'd be okay when that happened.

Holster and Samwell would make sure of that.

 


End file.
